Onsted school district concluding contingency portion of bond project

ONSTED — With the exception of several technology upgrades slated for throughout the district, the Onsted Community Schools’ $16.2 million bond project approved in 2012 drew to a close last week.

After the main projects wrapped up in August, Superintendent Mark Haag said, the district then looked at how to best use approximately $900,000 in leftover contingency funds. Since then, approximately $740,000 of that has been spent on a list of items.

That list included a generator to provide backup power for the school’s technology system, additional technology for the middle school classrooms, a new public address system for the intermediate gym, new classroom furniture and updated audio-video equipment for the district’s music program.

As of this week, approximately $150,000 remained in the contingency fund. Approximately $421,000 — or 57 percent — of the contingency money was spent at the elementary building. One of the largest contingency purchases there was a generator for $43,502.

At the high school, acoustical improvements to the music rooms cost $22,826.

Most of the improvements — primarily heating, cooling, roofing and windows — are not visible to the casual observer, Haag said. Approximately 72 miles of geothermal and underground pipework for the campuswide heating and cooling project were installed earlier this year, with the ability to process 1,500 gallons per minute to meet classroom needs. Haag said it is estimated the amount of savings needed to equal the system’s cost — $1.02 million — will be realized in 71⁄2 years.

“Overall, we’ve received positive feedback on the project,” Haag said. “We addressed the basics — the roof, heating, infrastructure — which is noticed by folks, especially at the elementary building. A number of the improvements there gave the building an updated feeling.”

The district worked with Plante Moran Cresa, TMP Architecture of Bloomfield Hills and Granger Construction Co. of Lansing on the project.